seahn
12-03-2010, 01:33 AM
hello, im new to this site, but was lucky enough to find it...
i just recently (within this week) found and caged a young garter snake (it is probably 8-9 inches in length)...
im new to keeping a garter snake during the fall winter/months (as a kid i almost every summer cared for a garter, but that was without the assistance of the internet, haha). i live in Missouri, and the weather here is usually pretty inconsistent, and the day i found this garter it was probably bellow 40F, the day before it was probably 65F, i found him in our unfinished basement, in a 3 inch deep plastic container near where our water hose is connected. i placed him in a temporary cage, then found an old 10 gallon tank i had stored, and have him housed in it. more than anything he was intent on escaping for the first day. i bought some baby crawlers (smaller night crawlers), and cut one in half and tried to feed it, and he ate the smaller half of the crawler. after doing so i read about brumation and started to worry that the worm i fed him could harm him threw the digestive track, as thier metabolism is slowed when in brumation (not sure if im saying that right). i have him in a take where the temperature is between 69F-72F.
my question is, if this garter has started to brumate, is it ok for me to gradually bring it out of it, even though i cant say for sure how long it is that it has been brumating. and if its safe to attempt to feed him, having the temp at what is it is now, if that will be enough to get his metabolism back up...
im ready to allow it to brumate if i cant get it out of it safely, and would rather do it in my care than in the "wild" because i have a cat that lives in my basement (long story), and both neighbors have outside cats that are good hunters, haha
i love animals, and love to have them in my home, but i really keep its well being important over my entertainment and enjoyment... i feel confident that i can care for the garter, but being new to brumation, i want everything to go smoothly, and healthy for it...
(i refer to the garter as it as i don't know its sex, and i don't like to take ownership of the snake, as i found it wild, haha, sorry, im weird)
i just recently (within this week) found and caged a young garter snake (it is probably 8-9 inches in length)...
im new to keeping a garter snake during the fall winter/months (as a kid i almost every summer cared for a garter, but that was without the assistance of the internet, haha). i live in Missouri, and the weather here is usually pretty inconsistent, and the day i found this garter it was probably bellow 40F, the day before it was probably 65F, i found him in our unfinished basement, in a 3 inch deep plastic container near where our water hose is connected. i placed him in a temporary cage, then found an old 10 gallon tank i had stored, and have him housed in it. more than anything he was intent on escaping for the first day. i bought some baby crawlers (smaller night crawlers), and cut one in half and tried to feed it, and he ate the smaller half of the crawler. after doing so i read about brumation and started to worry that the worm i fed him could harm him threw the digestive track, as thier metabolism is slowed when in brumation (not sure if im saying that right). i have him in a take where the temperature is between 69F-72F.
my question is, if this garter has started to brumate, is it ok for me to gradually bring it out of it, even though i cant say for sure how long it is that it has been brumating. and if its safe to attempt to feed him, having the temp at what is it is now, if that will be enough to get his metabolism back up...
im ready to allow it to brumate if i cant get it out of it safely, and would rather do it in my care than in the "wild" because i have a cat that lives in my basement (long story), and both neighbors have outside cats that are good hunters, haha
i love animals, and love to have them in my home, but i really keep its well being important over my entertainment and enjoyment... i feel confident that i can care for the garter, but being new to brumation, i want everything to go smoothly, and healthy for it...
(i refer to the garter as it as i don't know its sex, and i don't like to take ownership of the snake, as i found it wild, haha, sorry, im weird)